1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor vehicle rear seat pivotal between a first normal position for supporting an occupant in the seat and a second flat position for providing a loading area.
2. Description of the Related Art
Motor vehicle rear seats which offer the option of providing an additional loading area adjoining the luggage compartment situated behind them are known from the prior art. They are used primarily in minibuses, vans, etc., but also in basic passenger vehicles. So that the additionally provided loading area is situated essentially level with the luggage compartment floor, it is necessary for the seat to be constructed to be as flat as possible in its loading position. The upholstered seat part of the rear seat causes problems in this regard, since it is in the way of the backrest when the latter is folded forward.
To solve this problem, rear seats have been developed, in which, before the backrest is folded forward, the seat part can be removed from the folding region. Constructions of this type are described, for example, in the publications DE 43 40 446 C2 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,496. In the above-mentioned rear seats, there is generally the problem that the separate seat parts, after being removed, have to be accommodated loosely somewhere else.
Further known rear seat constructions make provision for the entire rear seat to be pivoted forward about a transverse axis arranged on the vehicle floor in the front region of the seat part, thus producing an additional loading area where the rear seat previously was arranged. A construction of this type is disclosed, for example, in DE 28 49 985 A1 and DE 44 22 920 A1. The disadvantage of this construction resides essentially in the fact that although the loading area is enlarged by the pivoting, a very large free space is in turn lost somewhere else, namely at the location into which the entire rear seat has been pivoted.
The prior art furthermore discloses solutions, in which the seat part can be lowered in order then to fold the backrest onto the lowered seat part. In some constructions, provision is furthermore made to combine the lowering movement of the seat part with the folding movement of the backrest in order to simplify operation. Constructions of the above-mentioned type are disclosed, for example, by the publications DE 199 57 380 and DE 199 04 009.
The motor vehicle rear seats known from the prior art have the disadvantage that they require a complicated construction, can be difficult to operate and incur high production costs.
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a motor vehicle rear seat which is of simple construction and therefore incurs low production costs, with the handling being made easier.